Let's talk about organization

I love ALL things about organization.  I could pin thousands of pins on pinterest about it.  I could sort through a new drawer everyday and take everything out and put everything back in just how I want it.  I've always told Dan I would love being a secretary, to which he responds, "I can't believe you would say that.. however if I could hire you I totally would."  To some people, like Dan, organization does not sound like fun- the last way he would want to spend his time is organizing.  But, when we moved out here to New York, he took on a whole new job with lots of responsibility- including the monotonous tasks of filing things and keeping track of tons of papers (he's in HR :) ), so I tried to figure out a way that I could help him.

A couple years back we hired a new co worker at Trinity named Nicole and she talked about this "system" called "Getting Things Done."  My boss eventually jumped on the bandwagon but at the time I kind of had my own little system for my event planning job so I didn't pay too much attention to it.  When I started talking to Dan about his job, I figured it couldn't hurt to read the book and maybe I could gain some tips to pass onto Dan.  Needless to say, it was 100% my kind of book.

A lot of the stuff he says isn't revolutionary, it just makes sense.  He starts out by showing us that the single largest consumer of our time and energy is preoccupation with things you have to do- so the real issue is how we make choices about what we want to do at any given time.  We are constantly thinking about what we need to do or wondering what we should do next, so his theory is: 

1. Write down every single thing that is on your mind.  Seriously.. everything from watering the plant in your guest room to picking up Johnny from school.
2. Turn those things into action steps- {huge step} So don't just write down "Plan trip to Chicago" write down what the first step is that you need to do- whether it's looking up flights, talking with spouse to figure out a date- he wants you to be very specific.
3. Organize your results in to separate lists {will explain below}
4. Every day review your next actions list and use that to determine what your "to do list" is for the day.

Something I really liked was his different list ideas.  He suggests having a couple different lists:
1. Next actions (most immediate things that need done)
2. Waiting list (ie: you emailed someone and you're waiting for them to respond to you about that project)
3. Projects list (can separate by home and work)
4. Someday/ maybe list (books you want to read, vacations you want to take, things you want to buy) etc.
5. Just a basic calendar with meetings, etc.

What makes this so helpful is that now, when you have 5 minutes, you can look at your lists and decide what is the best way you can spend that 5 minutes of time, because you have everything you need to do in front of you.  I have even broken down my "next actions" list into a couple different things like "Stuff to do when Jake naps," "errands to run," "basic next steps."

Then came the fun part for me- create a work space that you enjoy!  Honestly, in a perfect world I would have my own adorable little pinterest styled office right off the living room.  But we don't have that.  We don't even have an office.  So, our dining room table and buffet table is my "office" most days.  However, I purchased some cute office supplies at Target and collected all of our pens, markers, paper, post it notes, rubber bands, scissors, etc. and organized them.  I also bought a couple of these to store all of our paperwork in (bills, taxes, receipts, medical, etc.) and then this binder which I use daily to keep all of my lists in.  I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I had doing this.  Again, I'm type A, so that's probably why :)

There is honestly SO much more to this book from how to keep track of your emails to specifically explaining how to create your lists and sort through pretty much everything that is going on in your life.  He talks about how he meets with CEO's and it can take days to do this part.  For me, a stay at home mom with one little boy, it didn't take me days :)

One of the main things this process did do for me is increase my ability to think about our long term goals and vision for our family and also increase my creativity.  Because I'm not spending time wondering about the little things I should do, I have more time to think about bigger more important things such as, "who can Jake and I bless today?" or "what little project can I tackle while Jake naps?"  Since all of my lists and to do's are right in front of me, every morning I can make a decision knowing that based off of everything that I've thought and prayed through, doing this is the best use of my time.  Obviously, as with everything, not everything can get done when I want it to.  But that's ok, if I can't get it done then that little project I didn't get to will stay on my projects list until I have time later, and I'm not thinking in five days, "what was that project that I wanted to do last Tuesday?"

I love this kind of stuff.  Probably too much but it's something that gets me really excited.  And, if you are thinking you would love a new way to keep your home life, job, etc. organized, I would recommend the read.  From specifically writing down who we can be praying for to restaurants we would like to try out in Binghamton, I feel so much more organized after reading his book and implementing his system.

Making room for interruptions

I am always, always encouraged when the ladies on this blog post well.. really.. anything.  A couple weeks ago they shared a quote that resonated all too well with me:

“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one’s ‘real life’ is a phantom of one’s own imagination. This at least is what I see at moments of insight: but it’s hard to remember it all the time.”

Honestly, I had many interruptions when I worked in event planning full time.  I truly believe that what makes a good event planner is being able to handle interruptions and not let it ruin your whole event.  But with Jake... the "interruptions" can seem endless.  He wakes up early from a nap. Or more recently.. he simply doesn't go down for a nap.  He gets sick when mom is invited to a much needed play date.  He wants held right when I start cutting up the raw chicken to cook for dinner.

And God is slowly showing me that it is wise to hold my plans loosely.  The scheduler/ planner in me desperately wants my day to go exactly as I envisioned it in the morning when I sat down in front of my day calendar.  But what I forget is sometimes the day I planned out for myself isn't the best plan for my day.  Sometimes I'm supposed to pick up that phone call from a friend when I technically planned to be cleaning the bathroom. Sometimes I'm supposed to sit outside on the porch and let Jake rearrange the pumpkins from our table to our porch swing for 15..20... 25 minutes.  

Every day God uses Jake to show me that He has a better plan.  He wants me to slow down and listen to Him.  Sometimes I get everything done on my to do list.  But many times I don't.  And I am "working" on  realizing that that is not necessarily a bad thing.  More often then not, I've realized it is a good thing when an interruption comes up. And I'm grateful God uses this little man to teach me these valuable lessons :)

Bumpo and growing up too fast

"You cherish these moments because they will be gone before you know it."

I seriously cannot tell you how many times I have been told that.  A random grandmother in the grocery store parking lot.  In the bathroom at P.F. Changs.  Walking on the path around our apartment.  I would say it's the number one piece of unsolicited advice I've gotten.  And to be honest with you- it can be frustrating for me.  Just the other day I was putting away Jake's newborn and 0 to 3 month clothes and as I held them up, I couldn't believe his body was that tiny.  How do you cherish these moments when they seem to go by so quickly?  How do I truly soak them all in when I feel like there are a million other things that are going on?

The other day it hit me.  I need to change my priorities. This week I had to admit to my small group that at times I have let Jake cry for 30 more seconds because I am desperately scrolling through some blogs that I didn't finish checking during his nap.  Does this make me an awful mother?  I hope not lol But what I was convicted of was my heart in it. At times I have found myself frustrated that he woke up early from a nap and I didn't finish checking the latest fashion trend on Pinterest.  I'm pretty sure I'm not going to look back on Jake's early years and wished I spent more time mindlessly searching the internet rather than kissing his chubby cheeks or tickling his little tummy and hearing his first couple giggles.    

This week I am re reading the book "Shepherding a Child's Heart" for a Bible study at my church and the timing couldn't be better.  Now that I'm actually a mom I am hoping to read it with a new and different perspective than I did before.  Even today the author talked about being more "excited about this job (parenting) than ever."  And he described a godly family where the kids loved being at home because it was an exciting place to be, and the kids honored their parents and sought out their advice.  Yes this is a true story.  I believe these families can and do exist and Tripp describes how this is worth striving for and vision worthy of sacrifice.  I'm praying for a fresh perspective on my new role that leads to a heart change and a deeper love for our little family.

Goodness + Love

I grew up attending a more traditional Methodist church.  Every Sunday we sang hymns - and to a middle schooler they appeared just a *tad* lame.  It felt like we were singing the same thing over and over again.  I honestly couldn't wait until we finished some of them.  My brothers and I even had our favorites and to no one's surprise they were usually the shorter ones (anyone ever sing Jesu?! lol)

Then we started attending more non denominational churches.  Their "hip, contemporary" music was much more interesting to me and I would consider it more my style.  However, the problem with this thinking was that I was making worship all about me: What I liked. My preferences.  It was not about worshipping God, I was essentially concerned about if the music was suiting my needs.  Only here in America can we have churches that offer three different services with different types of music to suite our needs. 

Well before I go on more of a rant about something that probably could be discussed in a whole other post, I wanted to tell you about my new excitement and fascination with hymns.  Over the past few years I have really listened to the words in some of our ancient hymns and holy moly.  These writers had one heck of a walk with God.  They said things like this:

{All found here}

This past week we sang the song "Blessed Assurance" and in it are the lyrics listed above "Filled with his goodness, lost in His love."  As those words scrolled across the screen I couldn't help but think how powerful they were.  Very rarely do I stop (even though I should more) and ask myself when I am singing a song, is this true of me?  Are these lyrics declaring real truth in my life or am I just reading the words? 

How differently would my life look like if I truly was filled with His goodness and lost in His love.  I decided to take some time and search for scriptures that talk about how God embodies these things:

Psalm 27: 13-14

"I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living. 
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord."

Psalm 23:6

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever."

Psalm 116: 12-13

"What shall I return to the Lord

for all his goodness to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation

and call on the name of the Lord."

Although in the hymn the writer is referring to a time when he will be heaven, the scriptures I found relate specifically to here on earth.  We can see God's goodness now.  We are filled with his love and goodness (fruits of the Spirit: Galatians 5) now.  If I was filled with God's goodness and lost in His love I would....

Trust Him more in every circumstance of my life. 

See the bigger picture and not get bogged down in the day to day stresses.

Praise Him for the smallest things.

Be more thankful.

Share the message of the gospel more.

There are so many ways my life would be changed by the truth from this hymn.  And while I would still call myself a K Love kind of a gal, these hymns and their powerful lyrics are definitely growing on me.





A New Day

"For Christians the beginning of the day should not be burdened and oppressed with besetting concerns for the day’s work. At the threshold of the new day stands the Lord who made it. All the darkness and distraction of the dreams of night retreat before the clear light of Jesus Christ and his wakening Word. All unrest, all impurity, all care and anxiety flee before him. Therefore, at the beginning of the day let all distraction and empty talk be silenced and let the first thought and the first word belong to him to whom our whole life belongs. “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

-Bonhoeffer, Life Together

I feel like I need to read this every. single. morning.  I can't tell you how quickly the day can slip by and before I know it I haven't spent any time in the Word or even thinking about God.  It's such a tragedy when I go through the day in my own strength and time and time again I find myself tired, exhausted, and wondering what the point of it all was as I spent my time changing diapers, cleaning toilets, and doing laundry (just a fun glimpse into my yesterday :).  Thankfully, everything I do can be done to give God glory, but that requires a change in my mindset and a change in my pace.  That change will only come if I pause first thing in the morning and remember my Creator and purpose.  This is just a small glimpse into something God has been teaching me this past month- and while it may seem simple, it's amazing how many needs a little newborn can have :)

Here's another good convicting post about getting in the Word first thing.

via

Gaining Strength

About two weeks ago I was running around like a crazy person.  After just getting home from a weekend away, I came face to face with a midterm that I was so not prepared to take, a dirty apartment, lots of ironing and laundry, and no plans of what we were going to eat that week.  Naturally, I got in "Stef mode" and was go go for the next three days.

Then, as God always does, I was in Bible study and we were talking about Isaiah 30 and this verse obviously stuck out:

"... in quietness and in trust shall be your strength."

Isaiah 30:15

via

It was like immediate conviction.  My strength was not coming from God, my strength was coming from myself- and I was wondering why I was going crazy.

Quietness.

Trust.

That is where I get my strength from.  Quietness before Him- asking Him for stength, seeking His priorities for the day.  Trust in Him- trusting Him that I will get done everything I "need" done and trusting that His grace will be sufficient for me. 

Busy seasons are times of testing for me.  It's like God is asking me "Ok Stef, here we go again.  The pressure is on.  You have a lot to get done.  Are you going to go into control mode.. or are you going to let go and let me guide you?"  I'm hoping to try the quietness and trust method next time for my strength :)

Happy Friday!!  (we're home this weekend- yay!)

Sitting Still

"Multitasking has become the norm.  When was the last time you had an uninterrupted conversation with anyone?  No phones, text messages, or to-do lists running through your mind.  It's so rare nowadays to be able to look someone in the eye without interruption or distraction . . . In my quest to accomplish much, I've lost the art of focusing on one thing or one person.  This in turn has affected my prayer life, as I'm sure it has affected yours.  I find it harder to simply be with God, to focus only on Him while spending intentional time with Him.... Our lack of intimacy often is due to our refusal to unplug and shut off communication from all others so we can be alone with him."

 - Forgotten God, Francis Chan

I was definitely reading that exact paragraph while multitasking between doing my quiet time and uploading pictures to Facebook.  Yep, that was convicting.  

Hope you have a relaxing weekend :)

Think

"Make God's supreme beauty & worth the driving force of ALL your thinking. 

And make it the centerpiece of everything you create. 

- "Think" by John Piper

*So excited to share with you what I'm learning in this book!*

Time well spent + Headband love

So, our restful weekend has come to an end.  Even my peppy Brooke Fraser alarm going off at 6am this morning couldn't cover up my groaning as I fought with the phone to snooze just a little bit longer.  But, I'm so thankful for the break and am not complaining about my short week ahead :)

For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you will know that busyness is something I tend to struggle with juuust a little bit.  (please hear the sarcasm in that sentence.)  I have a tendency to think that if I'm busy I'm fruitful, which isn't always the case.  I think that is why anytime we get a break, I am so thankful because I tend to live my life under water and then I occasionally "come up for air" and when I'm up there, I realize how desperately I need that air.

Getting these priorities straight is definitely a struggle, and that's why I was so thankful when my sweet friend Helene, who I met on Santa Monica Summer Project in 2005, wrote this post recently about an article on time management.  (can I link anymore words in one sentence?!)  My favorites were #1 and #7.  It was just the truth I needed to hear as I started this week  

On a complete other note, I'm totally loving this headband.  I used to think headbands for were people under the age of 15, but is it ok for a 25 year old to wear this?!  I'm kind of a fan.  

 

Happy Tuesday!

Survivor- A life changing show?

Done.  It is such a great feeling to be done with finals.  Yes I have a couple other papers due for our summer class in a couple weeks, but I can't help but feel a huge weight lifted for right now.  This was one of those weeks where we dropped everything to study.  The dishes were dirty, dishwasher full, the apartment was a wreck, clothes sat for days needing to be put away and ironed, the bed never got made, etc.  For some of you those little things may not be a big deal, but for some reason those little things left undone can be a source of stress for me.  I'm working on it :)

Anyway, most of you know I'm a K Love fan.  So this morning they were talking about Julie Wolf, a contestant on Survivor (a show I've actually never watched!) who didn't walk away from the show with the million dollars she hoped for, but instead walked away with her salvation.

Julie Wolfe Picture via

As a follow up to her story, this morning they interviewed a man named Mike Skupin who is a Christian and a former Survivor contestant.  It was SO interesting to hear him talk about the show because he said that the Survivor experience is life changing for a lot of people.  It's quiet.  You're alone.  Your family is not around.  You have no phones.  No computers. You are stripped of everything.  He said that it is during this time that something happens.  You have time to reflect and think about life.  Why you exist. What you are living for.  What really matters when you take away the distractions.  He agreed with Julie by saying many contestants talk about God and faith on the show, but unfortunately that part doesn't get aired because America gives high ratings to shows involving fighting and controversy.

Mike, back in the "real world," said he observes people and what we do with our "extra" time.  As if we're not busy enough, the couple minutes that we do have free (like waiting in line, or sitting in traffic) we distract ourselves even more.  We check our phone.  Check our email.  Listen to music.  Anything to distract us from letting us just sit and think and reflect.  

I couldn't help but find myself yearning to be on Survivor this morning.  I sit here knowing cleaning needs to be done, bills need to be paid, papers need to be written, and there are errands I need to run, but for just a second it is nice to imagine the responsibility all stripped away.  Am I thankful for the clothes that need to be ironed?  Yes.  Am I thankful for the food that dirtied those dishes?  Of course.  But it is tempting to just get away sometimes, isn't it?

Unfortunately we're not all going to be contestants on Survivor.  And I'm pretty sure it wouldn't go over too well if I told Dan I was going to sit and think while he did everything around the apt :) But, Mike's interview this morning just reiterated what I'm hearing in my Bible Study "He Speaks to me"- when we stop and are quiet and just listen, God speaks to us.  When Julie, recently divorced and having financial difficulties, went on Survivor and was forced to slow down and think about her life, God spoke to her.  I don't need to get the chores done before I can stop and listen.  I just need to make the time to do it, and He will show up.  I've decided that's what I'm going to do this week.  Stop. Sit. Reflect.  And wait to hear from God.

Build - Pray - Wait

I can tell right away when I haven't been spending time with God.  I'm pretty sure Dan is the first to notice, but my attitude drastically changes, proving once again that I can't afford to not be praying and in the Word every.... single.....day.  It can only take a day away from those things for the "symptoms" to kick in, and they're different for everyone.  It kind of scares me to tell you what my "symptoms" are because they're pretty ugly and I don't want to admit that I struggle with these things, but I do.  And I've seen them all played out in my life this past week.  Here goes nothing: 

1. Focus too much on appearance.  I constantly compare myself to other people- body image, hair, make up, clothes.  Things I cared way too much about in high school become my focus.  The occasional purchase of an outfit or new lip gloss is not in itself awful, but when I care more about what people think of my outfit that my character, I know I've got some rearranging to do.  
2. Selfishness.  Everything is about me.  Every conversation I have focuses on me, everything I do focuses on me and how I can make my day easier, getting my to do list done.
3. Annoyed.  My servant heart completely goes out the window.  Making lunches becomes suuuch a pain.  Every chore I do gets done with a bitter spirit.  Anything that gets in the way of my plan for the night, day, morning, etc, becomes an annoyance.  I may not show it, but I'm definitely thinking it.
4. Attitude while driving.  Ok, I know I've talked about this before, but seriously it can get ugly.

Ugh.  That list is awful.  But, I can't just stop there because it's not a place I want to stay.  Today I listened to a CJ Mahaney sermon about staying in the love of God.  He talks about how people come into his office saying their heart is dull toward God, they have a depleted soul, and they can't seem to figure it out.  He goes on to ask them these three questions:

1. Are you building your faith/ preaching the gospel to yourself daily?
2. Are you praying? 
3. Are you living in anticipation of heaven- waiting for that day? 

They're not that complicated and pretty simple guidelines, but they make a HUGE difference.

If you've ever found yourself in such a place, this is a very convicting and refreshing sermon to listen to.  

Keep Yourself in the Love of God from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

Getting through the weekend

By now you probably know I love to organize- and I realized this weekend that I can actually get so caught up in organizing and details that I sometimes forget to eat- which trust me- that is a BIG deal for those of you who know me :)  I am so thankful for the way God created Dan because he is the complete opposite- which definitely slows me down during times like this in our life!

But, moving into our new apartment has not been easy- it's almost like a jigsaw puzzle- trying to fit all of our things in new storage areas and trying to be creative when it comes to the space we have.  And after we FINALLY found the perfect place in our new apartment for all of our stuff- this morning as we were getting ready the rod and shelf that was holding our clothes and storage broke off the wall in our closet and all our stuff came falling on the floor..  *sigh* that's what I'll be working on tonight lol

But, at times like this I look around me and there is so much to do I don't know where to start so I just go- go- go without stopping to think about what is the most important thing for me to be doing with my time.  People can get neglected and more importantly my relationship with God can be neglected because I think that unpacking boxes and putting up decorations is more important than that.  Since God knew this, He had me in Luke 21:34 this past weekend which says:  

³⁴"But watch yourselves lest  your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

Another translation says "anxieties of this life"- and this was exactly what I needed to hear: slow down and remember what is important.  Even when I'm moving, or studying for a test, or busy at work, or traveling, I need to be careful to evaluate what is weighing my heart down and more importantly - if my heart is weighed down because I'm placing "anxieties of this life" above God and what He places as important in my life.  This scripture is totally what I needed to start off the week :)